


Easy way to gain money

by ahhhhmaaaan



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: AU, Chatting & Messaging, Crossdressing, M/M, Sugar Daddy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-13 11:08:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29401005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahhhhmaaaan/pseuds/ahhhhmaaaan
Summary: «In a moment of extreme need, you should throw away your pride», — was the conclusion of Tubbo, a poor schoolboy without a penny in his pocket. If there are men in the world who are willing to pay him just to be nice to them, it's a sin not to take the chance.And Tommy was just bored in an anonymous chat.---Tubbo needs money and pretends to be a girl, and Tommy thinks that lie will help him to find girlfriend. Quackity also there, giving bad advices
Relationships: Toby Smith | Tubbo/TommyInnit
Comments: 9
Kudos: 118





	1. Chapter 1

Tubbo wouldn't call himself old-fashioned or backward from the rest of the youth. Nor did he complain about his vocabulary, despite his dyslexia. It just often happened that he didn't understand something that seemed obvious to other teenagers. And he was the youngest in the group. 

Well, to be fair, it's impossible to know all the slang, and in order to find out the meaning of a word, he had friends. Mostly, though, they were the ones saying things that had to be explained to Tubbo later.

This time it was about Karl's new car, and the teenager at first tried to ignore the unknown name, but then gave up.

“What is sugar daddy?”

There were harmless chuckles, and someone even awwed. Tubbo wasn't angry; he knew he was making a reputation for himself as a child by asking such questions.

Alex laughed, clutching his sides.

“Oh no-no-no-no”, When he had finished laughing, he cleared his throat. “Toby, listen, sugar daddy is a man, very old man, who gives money to young people for them spending time with him.”

“O-o-oh”, Tubbo understood. He thought Karl had just found a good job, and he was about to ask if there were any positions available.

“Shut your mom, Quackity, he's not old and he's not my sugar daddy”, Carl put his hands to his burning cheeks.

Tubbo was lost in himself. A normal job will come in handy, instead of the one he already has. His salary is barely enough to buy food. Since he became an orphan, he began to appreciate any little things that his sister provided for him. Although he could see that Teagan, who had recently come of age, was struggling to make ends meet, Toby didn't want to go back to the orphanage. As well as he didn't want to be a liability, so a job would be very welcome.

His thoughts turned back to the well-trodden path, and Tubbo felt really sad. His graduation is coming up, and he won't even be able to pay for college. The idea of someone giving money to unknown people just for their company seemed wild to Toby, an honest worker and an innocent boy.

When he came home and googled it, it turned out to be a little more complicated. It was more like having a kept woman, which made Tubbo blush. Of course, Alex was joking, Carl couldn't be soon-to-be a hooker.

After thinking about it, he went deeper into the topic. It turned out that Karl is not a hooker and not a kept man, and the relationship with sugar daddy can be at a distance, sex optional. Reading the forums, in the process he came across one interesting discussion. In it, the guys who insist on being one hundred percent straight, shared the experience of tricking rich men for money. Tubbo marveled at the ingenuity and lack of dignity.

And in the kitchen, there was an empty refrigerator and a receipt for non-payment of electricity bills.

Tommy was bored at a movie. There is no sight sadder than a loner in the cinema. A friend, as they say, exchanged him for a girlfriend. Of course, Tommy found out when he was already there, and it was too late to turn around. Sitting in a half-empty room, the guy boiled in anger at everyone: at Jack, at his girlfriend, at the stupid romantic comedy, and at all the people in the relationship.

Tommy, too, might like to have a soul mate. He actually wanted to, but he had no idea how people ever found each other. He thought about it deeply. There were few options: dating sites, propositions from parents, trips to bars and similar establishments, and an easy win in Tom's eyes — mutual love with a friend. It didn't require any extra movements — in fact, everything you need (a candidate for a couple, an emotional connection, basic knowledge about each other) is already at hand.

Tommy would never give his parents carte blanche to make a match, and he didn't want to go to clubs. Like if they'd let him in. There were still dating apps, but they were like Russian roulette, and who's telling the truth anyway.

When Tommy returned home, he downloaded one anyway and was convinced of the truth of his conclusions. As Tommy flipped through the forms, it seemed more and more like a mannequin stand. Everyone put labels and tags on themselves and wrote about their preferred ones. Tommy wasn't even interested in replying to messages. Not long after that, he withdrew from there and no longer tried to search for love in the digital space.

It took Tommy a moment to remember the existence of anonymous chat rooms. There were no profiles, and there was no need to start a conversation depending on the cosmetic information in the profile. In general, there you could not even disclose the truth about yourself, and unlike a dating site, they hardly went there with the hope of a strong and long-term relationship.

Just what a bored teenager needed. He soon became a frequent guest in such chats. He told tall tales, lied, and made up whole stories, playing various characters. It was funny when they believed him, even funnier when they caught him lying. Then began an unspoken competition to find out who would come up with a more obvious lie.

And he would love to find a girlfriend, but even pretending to be someone else, Tommy never met anyone who wanted to continue the acquaintance.

***

Tubbo was fed up with school. He got himself a bunch of shifts, and as luck would have it, the teachers threw the same amount of homework. He had to be torn between paying for utilities and academic performance. In between shifts, he wrote notes, essays, and even had time to correspond with classmates about a group project.

God save his wonderful friends, who understood his rambling sentences and gave the simplest role in the team — to print out the photos taken by Karl. No one in the group had professional equipment, so the responsibility of the photographer went to the person with the most decent camera in the phone.

“Well, if I had a sugar daddy, I'd buy a phone with a microscope instead of a lens, too”, Alex grumbled mockingly.

Toby didn't even dare think about a new phone when the manager was yelling at him, the teachers were giving him bad grades for homework, and the cat was mewing piteously for food. Toby felt bad for the cat more than he did for himself: Tubbo at least understood why they regularly went on an extreme diet when it was time to pay their rent, but Rocky didn't.

When a customer scrimped on tips or made a fuss about shrimp in a salad, even though Toby had mentioned them, he was reminded that somewhere there were people who didn't have to worry. Just because they meet rich people. And Tubbo wasn't envious, but it seemed extremely unfair to him that while he was deforming his feet with blood, walking from home to school, then from school to work, and then from work to home every day, someone could just ask for a new apartment and get it.

And he was even more angry with people who cheat others for money on the Internet. When Tubbo told Quackity about this, the friend said a clever point.

“You're angry because you can't wrap your head around the fact that you don't have to go through nine circles of hell for a penny. Tubbo, if these guys have resources that they are willing to spend on strangers on the Internet, it's a sin not to use it.”

For himself, Tubbo drew a parallel with buns: when he worked in a bakery, he had to throw away tons of fresh pastries. Apparently, at the end of the work shift, he just took some with him. And since the conditional bakery has extra pies, why not take them?

When he got home, he reread the scammers ' forums again and made sure that he would not back down. Tubbo decided to use anonymous chats, the idea of privacy distracting from the idea of illegality. He did not choose narrowly focused sites. Who knows how professional daddies are there, and how quickly they'll figure him out.

Toby had no luck. All the men he met were ordinary. Not businessmen or millionaires, but middle-class people. He didn't expect it to happen in the first few minutes, but he didn't think it would take so long. At one point, he wanted to call Jacobs and ask where he'd gotten Jimmy and if anyone else was there, or if they'd all been taken of the market. After an hour of texting, he even stopped trying to end the conversation and just hung up after finding out the payment they've got.

__

_hi :) 22:12_

__

_22:13 Hello_

__

_wwhat are you doign? 22:13_

_Nothing much. Right now I’m going to_

_22:14 an important meeting with business partners_

Tubbo raised his hands in a prayer gesture and sighed with happiness. The only thing left was not make a mistake, and not scare him off. He couldn't stand sitting there for another two hours, waiting for a new bag of money.

_oh, am i distructing you? 22:15_

Picking at his plate, Tommy amused himself by talking to strangers. Father asked him to put the phone away, but mother stood up for him, so he actually wasn't distracted.

_No, its gonna be a long way_

_22:15 the meeting place is in my country villa_

_im glad :) 22:16_

_im Thabita, you? 22:16_

_22:17 Thomas_

Tommy listened to girl's stories about herself, answering questions and sharing fictional information. He found out that the girl was going to college this year, and he boasted of a job that brought in millions. The teenager didn't have a job, but he liked to be admired by Thabita.

They talked for half an hour, until Tommy was told to wash the dishes and had to say good-bye. Before leaving, the girl gave him her discord, and Tommy froze in amazement. He went to bed with a sense of victory.

So did Tubbo.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Tabitha** _   
_I like you 14:08_

_sorry if im rushing,_   
_but do uou want to date? 14:09_

_**Thomas** is typing…_

At first, the guy didn't understand anything. In the black glass, Tubbo's reflection stared back at him, wide-eyed. He rubbed his eyes and squeezed them shut, hoping to open them and see the boring chat. However, the black mirror did not reveal the hidden data, and the smell of burning still poisoned the sensitive nose of the confused teenager.

“Wh- How- Ah…”

Tubbo opened and closed his mouth, choking on the words, feeling his heart tighten painfully. Finally, he screamed.

“What”, he slammed the table down hard, “The fuck!?”

The door opened, and a girl with wet hair looked in. She had the same features as Toby, and especially the bags under her eyes and the tired look in her eyes. Glancing at the smoke-emitting computer that her younger brother had taken for personal use today, she clicked her tongue.

“Power surge”, she said, holding up an equally steaming hair dryer. “But my loss is nothing compared to yours.”

Tumbling out of his chair, Tubbo cast a wild glance at the phone, which had chosen wrong time to update, and began to empty the cabinets. In the time before he found his old laptop, he managed to find all the things he had ever lost. Tubbo was dying inside, staring at the never-ending loading screen.

“I swear, if he dumps me, I'll blow this place up”, Toby said, making empty promises, tormented by the obscurity and the suspense.

_**Thomas** _

_14:09 Sure!_

_14:10 If that’s what you_

_want to_

_I didn't know how_

_14:12 to suggest it to you_

_14:15 Tabitha?_

_14:22 Did I say something wrong?_

_**Tabitha** _   
_omg my compiter_   
_diedim soo srorry 14:24_

_u stil here??? 14:24_

_**Thomas** _

_14:24 Wow_

_14:25 Is everything ok?_

Tubbo realized that he hadn't been breathing all this time. Taking a deep breath, as if he'd been saved from drowning, he finally relaxed. Next comes the part where he intensely flirts and praises daddy, and at the same time hints at gifts. After opening a website with phrases for flirting, he returned back to the messenger.

_**Tabitha** _   
_only me survied :( 14:26_

_anyway your answer made_   
_my day so much better :) 14:27_

_thought of you makes_   
_my heart beats faster :) 14:27_

_**Thomas** _

_14:28 When we can meet irl?_

_14:28 I also like you_

_14:29 :)_

_**Tabitha** _   
_dreaming about meeting with you, 14:30_   
_hope it'll be soon <3_

_though i rly dont have_   
_mony and now my_   
_computre broken :( 14:30_

Turned out it is much more difficult to beg for presents; Tubbo periodically complained about broken computer and important information it had, mostly pasting copied flirt from some website. He had no idea if he was doing it right, because Thomas barely reacted. The advice of a technically educated daddy was useless — Tubbo knew about it all, but he had no money to replace the burned-out appliances. Thomas quieted when Toby reminded him about it, causing the teenager to let out a sigh of frustration. Maybe he's doing something wrong.

***

Since Tommy had a girlfriend, he'd surprisingly never told anyone about it. Maybe because online relationships didn't seem serious to him. But when he received messages with more hearts than letters, or when she wished him good night and called him "beloved," Tommy would cast a haughty glance at his single friends and smirk.

Although this had its disadvantages. Tommy himself didn't know anything about relationships, in his eyes it was always just fun. There was no one to ask for advice, and the entire Google staff knew about the teenager's sweetheart. Tommy had once looked at the search history and deleted it immediately; from the abundance of idiocy and sugary sweetness, a person who knew him might think that he went crazy. Luckily, Tommy had someone on hand who had been in a relationship for almost six months.

Tommy was used to receiving gifts only for the holidays, and so he was a little annoyed by his girlfriend's obsession with this. But he guessed that perhaps he just didn't understand how the relationship worked, so he came to a friend with this question.

When he approached Jack before class, he drew attention with a loud cough. Lindsey, Jack's girlfriend, waved at Tommy. Luck was on the guy's side, since he caught the rhinestone of two interviewees. The attempt to engage in conversation didn't reach Tommy, who was deciding who he should question first. Having made up his mind, he turned to the girl.

Some would find the question "how often do you get presents" rude. However, Lindsey, whose first thing she heard from boyfriend's friend was "I don't like you", wasn't surprised by the defiant behavior. Jack was speechless. And, like any other girl, she was not eager to share the details of their relationship.

“Enough.”

Tommy turned to Jack, and Jack knew it was his turn to answer. His friend's sudden interest was surprising; before, the relationship had only irritated him. They had known each other since elementary school, and all this time in Tom's life there had been no greater love than the boyish spontaneous sympathy that passes in a week. Friends grew up, found relationships and broke up, and Tommy poked at photos of supermodels from Greece and said that they were dating; and for all this time, love in his eyes remained a distant childish game, always boring.

Choosing his words carefully, Manifold glanced at his partner. In the beginning of the relationship, it is normal to give gifts, and he told his friend about it. When asked how long this period lasted, Jack couldn't answer, so Lindsey came to the rescue.

“Oh, well, it seems until the pair will move in together. So, Tommy, have you got a girlfriend?” The girl's eyes glittered with anticipation of questions from her side, but the teenager said goodbye without giving an answer.

Objectively, no matter how much Tom did not want to spend money on someone, moving in with a relatively unfamiliar girl was the wrong decision. Even if she'd told him she loved him a hundred times, he just wasn't ready for someone other than his dogs to loom in front of his eyes.

Apparently, it seemed that it was still necessary to give gifts. Tommy felt ashamed when he thought that he must look like a miser in Tabitha's eyes. And they also have a long-distance relationship: he doesn't take her to the movies on a date, and also behaves like an ungrateful brute. But he introduced himself as a millionaire. With a bitter sigh, he picked up the phone. Well, he's made up some fairy tales, now match the performance.

_**Thomas** _

_11:25 Tabitha, tell me your credit card_

At home, there wasn't even twenty pounds in Tommy's personal savings. Frugality is not the strongest trait of a teenager. His family is not poor enough to worry about every coin, and not rich enough to teach financial literacy. So it turned out that the pocket money was spent on the day of issue.

There were also difficulties with modesty. The teenager's tactlessness and arrogance were something the family was used to. They said that this was a puberty, but they still did not have much hope. Thinking about it, Tommy decided that no one would be surprised at a teenager asking for money. Only when they'll hear the amount, but Tommy himself fancied himself a great businessman, so he had no doubt that the money was already in his pocket. More specifically, in Tabitha's pocket.

“Da-a-ad, can I use your credit card?” Tommy got straight to the point. “I need a hundred pounds.”

“Once again, how much?” After a moment of silence, his father asked. “And for what?”

The business shark had no answer to this question. The typical "very necessary" and the promise to try at school did not convince the parent. At some point, hearing consent became a matter of principle. Tommy's father wasn't a fool either, and he started making demands. Never in his life had Tom sighed so often and plaintively as during this telephone conversation.

The teenager lost half of his nerve cells until his father gave him permission to took the required amount. The joy of victory quickly faded when Tommy remembered that he would be a servant for his parents for the next month.

***

The cafeteria was in an uproar, but even the explosion couldn't drown out Quackity, who was telling a story. Tubbo had shone brighter than the sun all day, flashing everyone a big smile. The teenager energized friends; this day went stormy. Stopping at a vending machine, Alex offered to buy a drink for a friend, but was refused.

“Did they give you a bonus?” he asked, seeing Toby buy a coke with his own money.

Everyone knew about the orphan's difficult financial situation. They didn't talk about it, and generally tried to avoid the topic of finance. Although Toby himself wasn't ashamed of it and often joked, casually complaining about the low prospects of a position in a decent place, predicting a hump from working in a mine.

Everyone was surprised how Tubbo managed to choose the shittiest and most exhausting of the various jobs that accepted teenagers. Alex blamed it on the boy's sacrificing nature, and was glad to think that he finally had well-deserved prize from life, not just kicks.

“No, I just got a sugar daddy”, he said with a hint of bragging, in a intonation when someone tells about a new game console. After this, they still expect admiring exclamations and questions.

But Quackity choked on his drink in surprise. Coughing, he shied away from Tubbo, who was trying to help, waving his hand. Calming down, he looked at the confused teenager.

When Alex asked him to repeat it for the third time and clarified that he was not joking, Tubbo began to think that he had used the term incorrectly, and there was still some meaning. Maybe "sugar daddy" is the slang for cannibal pedophiles who seduce teenagers with candy. And having said that he had one, Tubbo's words were taken as a cry for help.

“You got a sugar daddy? The one that gives you money?” he paused at the nod. “But Toby, you're sixteen!”

“Oh, no, don't worry about it”, the teenager's face lit up with understanding. “It's a relationship built on lies. I'm more of a fraud than his baby. No, wait, it's illegal anyway.”

The attempt to comfort him failed. Quackity stared at the boy in bewilderment. The picture of Toby flirting with a man twice his age, even if it was just a make-believe, was absurdly improbable. In his mind, Tubbo was a trusting child, a pure soul who didn't know what he was getting into.

Lost, Tubbo couldn't understand why Quackity made such a big deal of it. He'd been okay with it earlier, when he'd found out about Carl. Both Carl and Tubbo were about the same age. It wasn't fair to joke about Jacobs, but to wring his hands in frustration when Toby found a new source of sustenance.

“What's wrong? You said that I should take a chance if I got one.”

“Me!?” the guy exclaimed. He seemed to remember their last conversation on this topic. Alex raised his hands in a protective gesture. “Oh, no-no-no, don't put the blame on me. This is not what I said at all.”

Tubbo had a lot to say about the role of the particular Quackity in deciding to follow the path of a parasite who lives at the expense of others, but he held back. And first of all, he wanted to thank him, because now Toby had money equal to his two-week salary.

Alex asked only to cut off all ties with the man, if their conversation crosses the line of innocent flirt, and the old pervert will demand nudes. Tubbo smiled reassuringly and took a sip from the bottle, which tasted amazingly sweet.

***

Tommy stood by the couch in the living room, smiling wryly at his mother. It was hard to tell his parents that he needed more money, even harder to say no to his first girlfriend. A week had passed since they'd met, and although at first the format of a pen pal didn't appeal to Tommy, he got used to it.

He even began to like such relationships: if he sad, he's texting Tabitha and then he'll read about all of his qualities; if he wants to share his joy, he'll tell her, and in return, Tommy will hear that only he deserves the very best in the world. The wholesome egoism that had emerged since the teenager was the only child of loving parents, thrilled with the compliments of a girl from the Internet. He only have to pay a small sum of money for that. Small for a millionaire, but not for a son of a middle-class man.

“You need money again?” a woman raised her eyebrows at her son's request. “Young man, haven’t you just recently ask your father for money? And what did you spend it on?”

The guy didn't like his mom's tone, but going to his dad with a second offer of a deal was stupid. Before he realized it, his parents would have a lackey, a cook, and a maid for the incredible price of fifty pounds. Because they won't give you a hundred anymore.

After listening to her son for a while, Mrs. Simons interrupted her son's speech.

“You know what? Since you need the money so badly, you can work at your father's company”, she rose, apparently intending to tell her husband about the new employee. “Maybe then you'll understand how hard it is to make money, and start appreciating it, instead of spending a hundred pounds in a day and a half.”

Tommy knew his mother didn't appreciate the begging, but he didn't think how angry she was. Blocking her way, the teenager began to persuade her mother, trying to play on her sympathy.

“I've never worked!” Tom made his final argument.

“It's about time”, the woman pushed her son away, and put an end to the conversation. “Tomorrow, after school, go to father's work and they'll fit you in.”

It sucked at work. Tommy had known before that idling was more interesting than working. And yet to feel it on your own skin is another matter. He was used as an errand boy: serve this, bring that, buy coffee, go hand out flyers.\

When he was introduced to other part-time guys, he tried to put himself at the top of their hierarchy, but wasn't taken serious. The only entertainment was to annoy the adults. It was especially fun with Darryl. He received the ironic nickname "bad boy" for his angelic character. Tommy took it upon himself to make him angry, hoping to hear at least one swear word.

“Hey, Bad”, Tommy said sarcastically, “How many pussies did you have?”

“Language”, the guy ignored the question. 

According to well-known script, then the teenager laughed at him, suggesting that the man was single. This time Tommy tried to compare Bad to himself: even a child have more girls than he does. This was his first time confessing to someone about his relationship. Manifold were still trying to get an answer to this question.

When Darryl heard about the boy's girlfriend, he couldn't believe his ears. It occurred to him that this relationship must be built on Tommy's dominance and praise, but he congratulated him out loud. When asked who tolerates the teenager's antics, he was shown the girl's profile in the messenger.

“Oh... okay, congratulations”, Bad smiled, but the hesitation suggested otherwise.

Tommy immediately frowned. When asked to explain, Darryl replied in a sweet voice, ”Nothing,”, and continued sorting through the papers. The papers were in the hands of a furious teenager, and Darryl had no choice.

Bud, smoothing things over, explained that online relationships are often built on illusions. Most likely, Tommy just built the image of the perfect girl in his head, and the idealization is caused by the admiration of the first love. A beautiful stranger, mysterious and sweet, but understanding and always ready to support — not real, and in reality there are no such things. And Tommy's feelings are also not for a real person, but only for the account with the red cat on the profile pic.

Tommy was angry. And not because Darryl questioned the sincerity of his feelings, but because, damn it, he was right. Tommy lied to Tabitha, saying that he fell in love at first sight, that he was fascinated by her love messages. His girlfriend didn't hook him with anything. And, to be honest, there was no thing to hook.

Tabitha is the most typical girl. The word "typical" is not suitable, rather "template". It can't be typical, because people, no matter how simple they are, always have a sparkle. There was nothing in her. Like a robot programmed to flirt, that's all. And Tommy, the idiot, played along and wrote the same disgusting unoriginal compliments.

Spirit sank, and Tommy didn't touch the phone for the rest of the day.

***

_**Thomas** _

_20:01 Um Tabitha_

_20:02 U busy right now?_

_**Tabitha** _

_no <3 20:04_

**_Thomas_ **

_20:07 I think we should break up_

Tubbo's breath caught in his throat. His hands were weak, and his head was pounding with siren. Not now, when everything is starting to work out.

He could see the joy in his sister's eyes when he told her that he had found a better job. The younger brother was already savoring the purchase of a set of pencils for his sister, knowing how happy she would be. In the last couple of years, the hobby has become a luxury.

Paralyzed, Toby had no idea what to say or how to fix it.

**_Thomas_ **

_20:10 Sorry. It's just_

_way too_

_20:10 I dont know_

_20:10 Fake?_

_20:11 I wasn't sincere with you,_

_and so were you_

_**Tabitha** _

_tom wait 20:11_

_i didnt men to 20:12_

_i just didn know 20:12_

_how to act_

Tubbo, biting his lip in annoyance, scribbled miles of incoherent text. Tom knew about his dyslexia, but they usually communicated with carefully prepared sentences, that he edited. But now there was no time to turn the text into something readable.

Tubbo wrote requests for a second chance, and cursed the spoiled bourgeois who wanted sincerity. You see, he doesn't have enough warmth in their relationship — and what was he thinking when he bought a doll for dialogue? The claim, to put it mildly, shocked Toby. Before, Thomas had only lived on praising his figure, but now he needed the truth. And for the truth about his "girlfriend", Tubbo was afraid that he would be buried alive.

_**Tabitha** _

_at lea st lets_

_vidoe call? 20:39_

_tommrow 20:39_

_**Thomas** is typing..._

Thomas had been typing for three minutes, making the boy nervous. Tubbo didn't know what else to offer the bored millionaire. When the message came, the exhausted guy fell face down on the table.

_**Thomas** _

_Fine. Tomorrow at 3 p.m?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> coming out: i sincerely hate text formatting at ao3


	3. Chapter 3

The wooden door marked "closed" had been an insurmountable obstacle for several minutes. Holding on to the familiar smooth handle, Tubbo thought about what to say when he came in. The light from the flickering street lamp was hypnotic and brought emptiness to the mind filled with anxious thoughts. Taking a deep breath, the guy pulled on the door, cutting off the escape route.

When he got inside, Tubbo looked around, noticing all the changes. Apparently, this place is still the same as Tubbo left it. The same lovely curtains on the windows, the same old tables, and the same Niki, busy in the kitchen. The ringing of bells did not distract the girl from cleaning.

"Sorry, we're closed!" she shouted from the next room. When she didn't hear the visitor leave, Niki looked in. "Tubbo?"

The young man stood quietly by the door, shifting from one foot to the other. It had been a couple of months since he'd been fired, but it didn't seem like long ago that he'd stayed after hours, sweeping and dusting. If it wasn't for the stuff cut, maybe Tubbo wouldn't have gotten a job at the first coffee shop he came across for a pittance. And then he wouldn't had to take his sister's makeup and come here for a friend's advice.

Niki was glad to see the boy. But Tubbo barely touched the tea and cakes, which caused Niki concern. Setting a makeup bag on the table, he lowered his eyes and began to tell a heartwarming story about how his life depends on whether he learns to put on makeup or not.

"I tried to watch tutorials, but I didn't understand anything", he added, almost in a whisper, and raised his head, looking at Niki with a pleading look. "Please, help me."

Confused, Niki agreed, though she still didn't understand much. The girl led her friend to the mirror, deciding that she will ask questions later. Tubbo is now in her debt, which means he can't escape without answering.

Looking at himself in the mirror, Toby tried to memorize himself as manly as possible. In all his life, he had never hoped that he would not be recognized as a guy. He and Niki decided that Tubbo would just learn how to do one single make up — there was no point in learning cosmetic products if it was, as Tubbo had promised, just for once.

The phone in his back pocket felt like a bomb. Tubbo folded his hands in his lap and focused on Niki's movements, resisting the urge to write that bastard Thomas what he was going through. Friend distracted him with a conversation, and the guy accidentally said that he needed makeup for a date.

After pausing for a moment, Niki continued as if nothing had happened, asking no more questions. When she finished, the girl, pleased with herself, asked him to rate the work. The boy said nothing. Turning slowly, he asked for another favor.

"Niki, do you know how to make my voice sound more feminine?"

***

Tommy fiddled with the microphone settings, laughing from his own autotuned voice, and glancing at his watch. He hadn't expected anything from Tabitha, and he wasn't going to change his mind. Tommy only agreed because it was too rude to break up with a message. All he wanted was to listen to the girl's tears as soon as possible and end the failed relationship.

When Tommy joined the call, he saw Tabitha fidgeting in her chair. Blushing, the girl periodically pulled up her skirt. Tommy moved closer to the screen, trying to get a better look at her, but the quality of the camera didn't allow it.

"Hi," she said in a squeaky voice, coughing afterward. At the sound of Thomas's unnatural deep voice, Tabitha stopped fiddling with the button on her blouse.

Tommy's explanation that he was too important to reveal his voice was completely acceptable to Tubbo. And they gave him the courage to start a conversation.

"Look, Tom, I wasn't lying when I said I liked you," the teenager indifferently noted that he was getting better and better at lying. "This is my first relationship, so I was being childish..."

A long meow interrupted Tabitha's speech, and Tommy, bored, turned his attention to the screen. The girl tried to ignore the cat, but each time he was louder and drowned out the embarrassed Tabitha. Amused, Tommy dropped a raunchy joke about pussy, which made the girl blush and burst out laughing.

The cat only quieted down when he was let into the room, but not for long. The red ball of fur from Tabitha's profile pic immediately scratched at the door, asking to leave immediately. Tommy did not miss this opportunity and told the girl about the superiority of dogs. Dogs were smarter, more grateful, and better at everything than cats, with Betty and Walter as examples.

It was a surprise to Tommy that Tabitha could make a normal talker. Before that, she communicated with the phrases of NPCs from romantic novels, and now she has revealed herself as an interesting and funny person.

Finding out more about the girl's life, it no longer seemed like a good idea to break off relations with her. Although he didn't love her, but he didn't have to love her to date. He decided to let the girl enjoy the first relationship, and Tommy himself was going to get a friend. Besides, when he heard about Tabitha's life, he took a deep liking to the schoolgirl.

The girl, who even from the screen seemed much smaller than Tommy, already worked hard and also was looking for another part-time job. Listening to stories about her asshole manager, Tommy felt ashamed that he had complained about how far the Starbucks was from his father's office.

Tommy wasn't one of those people who hated themselves for having a normal life, seeing how bad someone else's' life was. However, watching Tabitha talk about the car accident and rub the old scars on her neck, he wanted to run to his mother and apologize for all the stupid things he had done and will do again.

It was easy to talk to Thomas. Probably because he was just an abstract voice. At least that explanation worked for the first two hours, until Tom started talking about himself. But after that, there was no awkwardness, so Tubbo decided not to worry about it. He accepted the fact that his life would become strange when he opened an anonymous chat.

A door slammed at the far end of the apartment, and Tubbo said a hurried good-bye. Teagan, who had come to ask about the open closet, immediately left the room, seeing her brother with her blouse unbuttoned and his makeup smudged.

***

Tubbo didn't look up from his phone, and he got a few reprimands from his teachers. He didn't tell his friends why he wasn't at school yesterday, and only Quackity knew the reason. Alex tried to discourage the boy from skipping school, but he didn't listen to his friend. In the end, Alex spent the entire day consumed with guilt over the stupid advice.

Tubbo assured him that the date went well, but in the understanding of the Quack it would only be great if the riot police broke into the house of the daddy. And watching his friend laugh because of the pervert who made him wear women's clothing, Alex sighed and shook his head in disapproval.

"Well, he's charming," Tubbo shrugged when asked if he was starting to treat Tom as a person. Quickly correcting himself, he decided to explain what he meant. "It's just a fact, not a compliment. He's a businessman, and the humor is endearing."

Quackity said nothing and changed the subject, however, and Tubbo really began to notice that he no longer treated Tom as a bag of money. Part of it was scaring, but on the other hand, wasn’t this sincerity that Thomas wanted? If so, Tubbo was a bad actor, he was immediately discovered.

But his gender was not declassified. Tom asked to send a selfie, as the laptop camera showed only a blurry outline of a person. He had to remember Niki's lessons. Tubbo promised himself to ask Thomas for money and buy himself at least some cheap cosmetics, not to steal them from his sister.

**_Tabitha_ **

_yikes my makeup almost gon 12:30_

**_Thomas_ **

_12:33 Lol L_

_12:34 Tell me your address_

**_Tabitha_ **

_? 12:34_

**_Thomas_ **

_12:35 You'll see_

Tubbo surely knew that he shouldn't give his address to a stranger. But this is Thomas — his boyfriend, millionaire, businessman and sugar daddy. It was unlikely that he would come to Toby's house, since he did not even reveal his voice, so there was nothing to fear.

The next morning, a courier rang the doorbell. Awkwardly, he carried giant bouquet to his room, ignoring Teagan's questions. Toby buried his reddened face in the pillow, thinking what a banal and vulgar gesture this was. It was amazing how such a hackneyed act could bring a smile to his face. Driven by an impulse of gratitude, Tubbo grabbed a new makeup bag and repeated the movements he had learned, humming.

Smiling sincerely at the camera, Tubbo pressed his cheek to the bouquet, blushing at the fact that he had previously allowed bad thoughts about Tom. After sending the photo, he, without thinking twice, also asked for a second date in discord.

***

Tommy fidgeted in his chair, taking time off from his work. He had been working strenuous lately; he even complained more out of habit than because it was really actually difficult for him. But now he had a good reason to be idle — his girlfriend sent another selfie.

Of course, he couldn't have known that Toby was just training, so he sent the photo for evaluation. YouTube's algorithm is incredible: as soon as he looked at a couple of makeup instructions, half of the recommendations were filled with videos from a beauty guru. Need I say that Tubbo just gave up?

"It's a guy," a voice suddenly said from behind him. Turning around, Tommy turned the phone screen down, which didn't stop Fin from picking it up. "Yeah, definitely a guy. Look, his throat is covered, and the amount of filters are making the wallpaper blurry.

"Shut the fuck up," offended, Tommy pulled out the selected device, grinning. "How would you know?"

Finnster looked skeptical, but changed the subject and apologized. Tommy didn't take the older guy's words into his head. After laughing with Tabitha about the situation, he went back to work. Following the example of his girlfriend, he no longer treated work as a share of the proletariat. Although he did not work a lot, it seemed to the teenager that he made a fortune.

In the evening, Tommy locked himself in his room, telling his parents not to disturb him. Tabitha, as always, sat far away from her laptop, clutching at her tight skirt. The fabric clung tightly to his thighs, and Tommy complained again about the poor resolution. Even so, it was clear that the girl in the photos was the same as on the computer screen.

As Tabitha noted the details that had been casually mentioned earlier, Tom genuinely wanted to choke on the tenderness. So it was necessary to be more rude and mockingly note how cute she was, presenting it as an insult.

One thing led to another, Tabitha remembered Thomas mentioning music school, and from somewhere she pulled out an old synthesizer. Tommy once again admired the skill of his friend, and began to criticize the impromptu concert.

Listening to the girl's playing, the guy thought about their strange relationship. This was the second time he had clearly seen the difference between him and Jack. The latter took his girlfriend to the park, and Tommy sent pictures of pizza and received an image of overcooked pasta in return, calling it a "virtual dinner for two".

This time, Tommy didn't want to end their unique relationship. These dates were dear to him, and he wish not to stop them. However, as much as he loved spending time creating tier-list of Tabitha's make up, Tom would rather to see her in person.

"The perfect date?" the girl was surprised by the question. Bowing her head in thought, she paused. "I don't know, snowboarding sounds cool. What about you?"

Thomas didn't think too much, it was obvious to him. Beach, music, romantic atmosphere. Lying on the sand, they would watch the sunset. Tubbo laughed at such a trivial and sweet picture. The other's unnatural voice trailed off, offended.

"Yes, the sunset is also good," Toby smiled gently, closing his eyes.


End file.
